By the late 1970s, dissatisfaction with the Shah’s regime had reached a boiling point. Economic challenges, political repression, and cultural policies that alienated large segments of the population contributed to the rise of revolutionary sentiment. The growing discontent culminated in mass protests in 1978, leading to the eventual overthrow of the monarchy in 1979.
In conclusion, while the White Revolution and subsequent reforms sought to modernize Iran, they also deepened the divide between the Shah and his people. His failure to bridge this gap and address the grievances of various opposition groups ultimately led to his downfall. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 marked the end of his reign and the beginning of a new era in Iranian history, one shaped by the very forces he had sought to suppress.
The Shah had created one of the most impressive armies in the world. A large portion of the country’s oil revenue was used to equip the Iranian Imperial Army. The Shah traveled extensively to England and other countries to purchase military equipment. Even supporters such as Admiral Dwight Eisenhower did not hide their concerns about the Shah’s excessive military spending. In a confidential cable, he described the Shah as “military obsessed.”
With the Shah’s reign beginning in 1945, political parties began to form. Until the Tehran University assassination, the Tudeh Party of Iran was the most successful of the parties. After the assassination, the Tudeh Party of Iran was outlawed. With the coup of 1953, nationalist parties were also banned. In 1953, the Shah concluded that he needed two parties to sustain his rule. He commissioned Manouchehr Iqbal and Asadollah Alam to form two parties, but these two parties had no influence outside the parliament. Eventually, the two parties’ disputes over electoral fraud led the Shah to become disillusioned with his own parties, and in 1974, he established the Rastakhiz Party as the country’s only legal party. The Shah modernized Iran and expanded the country’s scientific and cultural centers. Political and social reforms, including the passage of the Land Reform Law and granting women the right to vote, were among the most important activities of his government.